Ambulance Victoria has launched a review into the wait for help a 36-year-old Melbourne man endured in the lead-up to his death after he called triple-0 with chest pains and trouble breathing.
Danny Vasiljevic made the call from a shopping centre car park in Melbourne's south-east but an ambulance did not arrive for 22 minutes — by which time he was already on his way to hospital.
Mr Vasiljeciv's partner Katrina Christou drove him to hospital herself with their 10-month-old daughter in the back seat after an ambulance failed to come within 15 minutes, and he died after their arrival.
Ambulance Victoria spokesperson Anthony Carlyon said a review of the case was already underway.
"Obviously, losing a family member, a partner, a partner at such a young age is immensely confronting," he said.
"I can't imagine what that experience is like but we're very, very sorry that they've had that experience."
The arrival of the ambulance 22 minutes after the call for help was seven minutes longer than the critical response target for code 1 incidents.
"Certainly when it comes to significant issues such as chest pain, cardiac arrest, stroke, there is no time that's quick enough," Mr Carlyon said.
"Certainly would have liked to have been at this patient quicker, been at this scene quicker than we arrived."
He said on the night of the 36-year-old's death, the service was "particularly busy" but the nearest available ambulance was dispatched.
Mr Vasiljevic's death came after a recent report from the Inspector-General for Emergency Management into 33 deaths associated with triple-0 call delays.
In May, the state government announced an overhaul of the triple-0 service ESTA after a review found "continued and systematic underperformance".
New dad spent final moments 'scared and unassisted'
Ms Christou was at her sister's house when her partner called her from a shopping centre, telling her he thought he was having a heart attack.
She immediately drove to be with Mr Vasiljeciv, who had their baby daughter in the back seat of his car as he waited for an ambulance.
When Ms Christou arrived and found the ambulance was still not there, she jumped in and drove her partner to hospital.
He later died in hospital.
Ms Christou told the ABC she wanted answers for her partner, herself and their daughter.
"Danny spent his last moments scared and unassisted," she said.
"I want to know exactly how the system failed him, why he was left completely alone in his hour of need.
"I want and need to know every detail of how I lost my partner."
Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier said Victoria's emergency services system was still failing the community and said Ms Christou "deserves answers".
"She and the family want to know why she had to drive Danny to hospital," she said.
"This is just another tragic episode where someone has lost their life because of the failures in the system."
